If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

And last season also (2011 and 2012) ... just pointing out that it's not true that all teams gel and get better as the season progresses. This year (2013), the Steelers appeared to and I hope that continues throughout the offseason and into next season.

I was not responding to what the original poster wrote. As indicated, I was responding to what YOU wrote; a statement that implied that "all teams gel and get better as the season goes"

hmmm, yet my post quoted his. um okay.
anyways. now you want to say that all teams dont gel and get better as the season goes?
you really dont think that the players understand the offense, defense and special teams plays/concepts better by the end of the year as they do the first 4 weeks?
you dont think they have developed a better working relationship with their counterparts by the seasons end compared to the beginning?
you dont think these guys have built a rapport(gelled) with each other compared to the first few weeks?

i am willing to bet that even tho some teams might have finished the year worse than they started(record wise), they are still better than they were at to start the season.
barring major injuries, i bet if every team played itself(week 1 team vs week 17 team) almost every week 17 team would win, if not every one.

1) First ballot HOF, ROTY
2) All Pro first year, first round talent that fell to us in second
3) Starter for years to come, cant believe he fell
4) Absolute steal of draft, 2nd round grade
5) Back up at first then starter for 10 years
6) Incredible depth and ST demon
7) Amazing value, shoulda went 3 rounds earlier

I don't think it was that one move. I think Miller and Bell being hurt early really set us back too. If you have both those guys playing like they were mid season and especially at the end, we win two of those first four games.

People will never give him the credit, but I also think that Spaeth being hurt really hurt our pass protection because he could have been in place to help Adams out until he got his feet under him. If you had a good blocker like Spaeth helping out on Adfams' side maybe things don't snowball like they did.

I think you also have to factor in the zone blocking scheme that wasn't. How much time was invested in that and then it wasn't used?

Agreed.

Ever watch Nat Geo on "Airplane Disasters"? A crash is veryrarely attributed to a single circumstance. It is almost always a combination of several things coming together in a very improbable way.

Tomlin dealt with the adversity and as others have pointed out, he righted the ship inside a single season (at least as best he could with the talent he had).

He will be presented with a whole new set of circumstances to start the season next year too. The defense will not resemble the defense of today, for better or worse. Switching to a 4-3 as you so often promote, doesn't necessarily guarantee success. Still need all the right players to make it work.

Just because teammates know each other better and know their coaches plays better doesn't mean that they play better. See this years Detroit Lions as but one in a litany of such teams.

trust me, this isnt a dig, but have you ever played or coached at any level?

1) First ballot HOF, ROTY
2) All Pro first year, first round talent that fell to us in second
3) Starter for years to come, cant believe he fell
4) Absolute steal of draft, 2nd round grade
5) Back up at first then starter for 10 years
6) Incredible depth and ST demon
7) Amazing value, shoulda went 3 rounds earlier

Just because teammates know each other better and know their coaches plays better doesn't mean that they play better. See this years Detroit Lions as but one in a litany of such teams.

problem is, it's not a zero sum game. the other team is getting better as well..... comes down to who can be ready at the end of the season. Cowher was pretty good a getting the peak right.... not sure Tomlin has shown the same ability, but this past season was certainly positive.